The Fun House

December 4 2017

Tips For Finding The Best Escape Room To Play With Your Family

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The Holiday season is fast approaching, and for many people that means family gatherings. There’s always a lot of fuss during these next few months, dealing with travel schedules, cleaning, lodging, dining, and most importantly, entertaining. Though I cannot help you with everything, allow me to suggest some entertainment that can include the entire family and leave a lasting impression.

Last Christmas I got to visit my parents in San Antonio, Texas. My brother, my cousin, and his wife joined us for an early Christmas Eve dinner. After we finished eating, we were looking for something fun to do as a family. My brother suggested trying a local escape room, so we set off to solve a mystery aboard a pirate ship. We had a great time.

Escape rooms are a great idea for families getting together during the holidays. They provide an opportunity for groups of all ages to interact, to share, to laugh.

Unlike going out to see a movie, you are not confined to a seat in the dark, unable to talk with everyone else. In an escape room, you are free to move around. You can talk to each other, joke to each other, and sometimes even act silly together. For those who have trouble striking up conversations, the puzzles in the room provide an easy starting point.

To plan the perfect escape room outing with family, I have a few tips:

Find a game with a medium difficulty rating. With a medium difficulty, first-timers and enthusiasts alike can contribute. The first-timers will be able to understand and solve puzzles, while at the same time the enthusiasts can still find the game challenging and engaging.
Try finding a non-linear game. Non-linear games hold many puzzles that can be worked on simultaneously. This means that your group can split into smaller teams, giving everyone something to do.
Find a theme that appeals to everyone. There are plenty of silly, kooky, fun games that you can play, just be sure to check the age limits for the rooms. Also pay attention to limits on group size. Find one that can hold your entire group, and see if you qualify for a private room.
Include others. If you consider yourself an escape room master, sometimes it can be frustrating playing a room with those who have no idea what they’re doing. Just remember that you, too, were once a first-timer. Try guiding your family members in the right path. If an answer seems obvious to you, try helping your family come to the same conclusion as you instead of simply answering the puzzle. If you have a family member standing in the back not participating, even something as simple as “try this combination on this lock” could be enough to get them involved.
Adjust your goal for fun. Working as a Game Master, I have had many groups whose only goal is to escape. We all love winning, but we can’t win 100% of the time. Approach your game with your number one goal being to have fun with your family. If you focus more on including everyone and having a great time, you’re going to come out on top. Escaping would just be a bonus. Especially if you are playing with a large group of first-timers, there’s the possibility of tensions running high. Take a step back, breathe, and look at the room as a bonding experience.

If you are in the Anaheim area during the holidays and need something fun to do with your family, The Fun House is the perfect game for you. Your group will enter a wacky carnival to prove yourself as worthy magicians before time runs out. As a non-linear game with a medium difficulty, there are plenty of puzzles for everyone with any sort of experience. If your group has kids 13 and under, we even have a special version of the game with puzzles designed for younger players.

This holiday season, you can relieve a bit of stress by planning an escape room outing for your family.

Geoff Durham
Game Master and Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

September 18 2017

Zoltar’s Premonitions: Avoiding The Terrible Fate of Eternal Imprisonment

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If you have had the chance to meet Zoltar the Great inside The Fun House, I’m sure you may have found yourself wondering how could someone so handsome and so powerful get trapped inside a painting for all eternity? Well, you are not alone in your pondering! It is a question I get quite often, so I decided to go straight to the source and ask Zoltar the Great himself. Here is what he had to say:

Zoltar The Great

“Greetings and salutations dear readers, I am Zoltar the Great, the Seer of Secrets, and today I’ll be your guide to avoiding the terrible fate of eternal imprisonment.

“It all starts in 1940. I was part of a very prestigious travelling circus that would draw crowds from near and far. During this golden age of circuses, I was the gem in the crown of my ring leader’s performance. Ah yes, I was truly a site for people to behold. And, oh, how they would gasp when I would peer into my crystal ball and lay bare the path to their future. Secrets? Scandals? Deep wells of unknowable knowledge? No problem for the Great and Powerful Zoltar.

“But alas, the 40s were a turbulent time, and even a talent like mine was not enough to drag people from their sorrows and into our seats. Ah yes, it was quite the low point indeed.

“Naturally, the Ring Leader had some tough choices to make and one by one the other acts were cancelled. Now, I will admit that this was curious, but I did not fear for my job. No, no, no. I was merely worried that another circus might come by and take me away from my beloved circus. That’s it. That is why I sought out our magician, Morgan something or other, for a cure to my worries.

“Now it was no secret that Morgan and I didn’t get along very well. He, like so many others, couldn’t help but go green with jealousy when he would see the adoring fans showering me with compliment after compliment. However, when I so humbly asked him for a spell that would keep my act in the circus forever, he set his grudge aside and graciously agreed to help me. Perhaps he believed that by helping me, he might be able to bask in the glow of my success for that much longer.

“Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

“Morgan said he had something that would give me exactly what I wanted. He handed me a terribly dusty scroll and said if I signed it, I could be part of the circus forever. Without overthinking anything, I dipped my quill into some ink and signed the scroll with a perfect autograph.

“Suddenly everything became shaky and my vision started to darken. Next thing I knew, I was trapped within a magical painting of myself.

“Oh, woe was me in that moment. Sure, things could have been worse. Sure, he could have shaved one of my perfect eyebrows, or scarred the flawless skin on my face, but nonetheless this was definitely a terrible predicament to find myself in.

“Luckily for me, I was still able to speak and my powers of foresight were keener than ever. So, I called out for help. And who would show up but the apprentices of the very magician that had done this to me.

“I talked to the children and told them of how their master had tricked me and, bless their hearts, they believed every word I said. I gave them some good advice and sent them on their way to the magician’s tent.

“By using their wits and working together the two apprentices were able to discover the mysteries inside their master’s tent and return to me with Morgan’s dreaded Grimoire. I was so pleased that I declared that they should be made worthy magicians at once!

“But this was not the end of the tale. There was no happily ever after yet. Oh, no there wasn’t! The two young magicians looked through the Grimoire and found nothing in it that resembled a counter spell. Alas… I Zoltar the Great, the seer of secrets, and soon to be 5-time beer pong champion… was still trapped.

“In the end, Morgan the Magician was arrested for the improper use of magic against a national treasure, the two young magicians were given a center stage performance in the circus’ main event, and I was trapped for what seemed to be all eternity.

“Basically, you could say that the circus just wasn’t the same anymore. The two young magicians eventually left for better things and as the circus fell into debt, I was eventually sold to an old pawnshop owner whose hearing was so bad, I could never convince him I wasn’t an ordinary painting.

“But, as Mother always said, when life gives you a lemon, just wait around until you find someone who knows how to make lemonade! My fate changed the day I was purchased by a lovely couple who saw my talent for what it was truly worth! They gave me a well-paying job at Cross Roads Escape Games and since then, I have made it my mission to test those who wish to take on the Fun House, sorting the worthy magicians from the clueless clowns. It is my earnest hope that one day I will find a magician worthy enough to free me from my magical painting.

“At least, that is the story I tell people… it is a timeless tale of woe, betrayal, and not reading the waiver before messing with dark magic… One might say this story is a people pleaser. Trust me, this is the story you want to hear… It is much better than the one about the troll…

“But perhaps that version will be a story for another time.”

And there you have it dear readers. Straight from the horses mouth. Now your new question that you should be asking yourself is if YOU will be the one who is worthy enough to set Zoltar fee?

Jason Sakal
Manager & Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

July 24 2017

Zoltar’s Premonitions: Guide To The Fun House

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Greetings and salutations dear reader! I am Zoltar the Great, Seer of secrets, paragon of beauty, and your guide to navigating the ups, the downs, and the upside-downs of the Fun House! Every month, I will share with you important premonitions I may receive regarding tips, advice, stories, words of caution, and other news a magical painting may have!

Now, I know that you’re eager to begin your work as a magnificent magician, but do keep in mind we don’t just give that job away to anyone. First, you will have to prove yourself worthy of such an illustrious title.

The test ahead is a perilous one, filled with many opportunities to end up looking as silly as a clown. But fear not, for it is my most earnest desire to see you all prepared for your new jobs under the big tent. Stick with me, dear reader, and follow my advice; we might just make a magician of you yet.

First off, it is imperative to follow instructions, both written and verbal. Failing to do so can lead you down the express lane of clown employment, and nobody wants that. Do listen while the funny little men and women explain the rules of the Fun House. These rules are not only meant to keep you safe, but to keep you from wasting time by doing silly things that won’t help you in the slightest. Remember, a magician always knows the rules!

Speaking of silly things to do, please remember that you will not need to climb on anything. This test is one of wit, intellect, and perception! However, some people are much more clown than magician and will panic when presented with a test of the mind. It is not uncommon for clowns to reveal themselves by running in circles, by climbing on top of one another, or by performing a handstand to place their noses closer to the floor. Just to be clear, all puzzles within the Fun House can be done with your feet flat on the ground.

Speaking of which, here is a bit of advice on how to ground your thinking while in the Fun House. When brainstorming a possible solution to a puzzle do try and avoid overthinking things! If at any point, you find yourself saying something along the lines of “A is the first letter of the Alphabet, so that must be number 1…” TURN BACK! You have gone too far! I promise you that the solution is MUCH simpler than that. Try thinking of it as a game of connect the dots. Look for things that the clues have in common. Ask yourself, what are they trying to tell me? This will often help you to simplify your thinking substantially!

Another thing to keep in mind that many of the rules of your world do not apply in the Fun House.

FunHouse_Teaser

This escape game takes place in a fantastical realm where many things are not as they appear to be. In the Fun House, it isn’t uncommon for stationary things to spin, and move, and dance; it isn’t uncommon for things to be out of place or out of order; It isn’t uncommon for potential magicians to be required to salute a picture of General von Kitty; and it is most certainly not uncommon for an enchanted painting to speak, sing, and demand worship from players in the form of flattering compliments.

And lastly, but most importantly, remember that it is never bad to ask for help. The Fun House can certainly be a bit overwhelming for new players. If it seems like you aren’t understanding something and you feel yourself getting frustrated, simply ask your team mates for help. If you all put your minds to it and still don’t quite understand something, then you can always turn to me, Zoltar the Great. Don’t let my flawless complexion intimidate you. I promise… I am only there to help.

Sincerely,
Zoltar the Great